Emma's Adventures

Arriving of the plane in India, i really didnt know what to expect. My flight had been changed so arrived just after midnight!! And wow was i in for a surprise, there were hundreds of touts waiting to take any of us passengers to a hotel of there choice. My pre-arranged airport pick up never arrived! Typical, luckily however i met a great American guy who was also on holiday in India at the airport and together we managed to get a cab driver where he would actually take me to my hotel of choice instead of telling me it had burnt down!! The american Dan also joined me which was kind of nice for my first arrival in Delhi the crazy city making me relatively relaxed as i arrived.

My first couple of days in Delhi were taken up with seeing the sights of the Red Fort, Humaynams Tomb, Cannught Place and visiting the Zoo to see some white bengal tigers :) Which was fun :) However i did get ripped off by nearly every tuc tuc driver in Delhi CBD.  Most tuc tuc drivers try and take you to there preferred places of interest and shops so they can get commission!!!  I also spent the first few days sampling the wonderful food India has to offer including Dosa, Thali, Mixed Veg, Roti, Naan and plenty of other magical dishes along the way :)

My plan on arrival to Delhi was to take a couple of weeks to travel Rajasthan, i decided to do this in the way of a tour :) making it easier to get around. First stop was Agra to see the magnificent Taj Mahal which is ever more beautiful when seen in real that what you see on the postcards, a beautiful story :)  Agra itself did not have alot more to offer :(  Next stop on the adventure was Jaipur a great buzzling place with a beautiful fort known as the Amber fort which i have to say is alot more impressive than the fort i had visited a few days previous in Delhi :)  Shopping in Jaipur is massive too with the sales of Carpets and Jewellery taking the top spot in this town. In Jaipur i visited the local theatre and one of the most magnificent theatres i had ever been to take in a bollywood movie in Hindi, i had a little help with translation from a local :)  From Jaipur i visited the beautiful country get away of Ranthambore a national park in Rajhastan that keeps tigers, spotted deers, monkeys and lots of other animals to see. It was great to get away from the constant drone of car horns and people shouting! This was my favourite stop so far!  I took an open top jeep around this park on the look out for birds and other animals that i could spot, unfortunately no tigers on this accasion but all the stay a blissful getaway.  Next stop on the magical adventure was Mahangarth a very small village full of locals who make there living by farming crops and vegetables and take them to the nearest towns to sell! Here i stayed in a heritage property which is a fort over looking the village and what a delight it was so peaceful, i also had the pleasure of listening to local musicians play and learning some indian dance moves, wearing a sari that was leant to me by a local!  Next stop Bundi a small place in comparison to Jaipur and Agra but again with a great village atmosphere where the children follow you and ask you for one pen, one rupee or anything taht you could give to them.....
Next stop was a lakeside haven kown as Bassi which is around 1 hour south of Bijapur, here i stayed in a tent looking over a beautiful lake this is where i spent Christmas 2010 overlooking the lake with some local food and a bonfire to enjoy when the sun went down :)  After tening it for a night i moved along up to Bijapur a town 1 hour north of Bassi. Here i stayed in castle heritage listed which was magnificent equipped with pool, library and massove grounds to walk around! On arrival in most places in Rajasthan you are greeted with a bindi placed on your forehead and flowers wrapped around your neck as a sign to welcome you :)

My favourite stop on my journey around Rajhastan was Udapuir a beautiful town set on the river, with a magical floating palace and beautiful cobbled streets that led you to the little stores and cafes ready for the tourists to hoard.  But here i had a great time spending a couple of days exploring the streets and eating some great food!!

Last stop of the trip in Rajhastan was Pushkar a holy town taken over my Israeli tourists, being a holy town there was no meat eaten or alcohol drunk there whatsoever :)  In Pushkar i took a camel safari through the town and then on into the dunes to watch the sun come down, which was a wonderful experience, very different to the last time i rode a camel in Broome in Western Australia over 2 years ago.

Following on from Pushkar it brings me back to Delhi to which i started, here i stay in a wonderful palce called the Amax in costing 500rupees a night a bargain for the price, yes its basic but its relatively clean for Indian standards. The staff are pleasant and there is a roof top terrace where you can drink a kingfisher and enjoy the company of locals and tourists alike, from archeologists to backpackers to local workers!

In Delhi is where i right this post from and with that i have to go back into the busy streets to take yet some more beautiful food :)  Until the next time ...... Emxx
 

Hello Every1 - Well what can i say about China! Simply amazing what a great country!!! Started my adventures in Beijing which is a buzzing metropolis!  Great sights from Olympic park, Summer Palace, forbidden city, took a rickshaw around the city to catch the old town of Beijing and the houtongs. Food SIMPLY DELICIOUS duck is a speciality in the area so definately a must try for anyone travelling over there!  The weather was freezing so a winter coat was a must purchase for this time of year, a big shock to the system from SE Asia anyways.  Next stop on the adventure was the great wall of China and it very much lives up to its name, stayed in a small township near the wall so i got to try some good home cooked food and local hospitality. Amazing. 

From the great wall i went to Xian which is also a city but no where near the size of Beijing, from here you can visit the Terracotta warriors one of the many wonders of the chinese world! However a little dissapointing for me as they are encased in akind of factory :( did not really give me the wow that i was expecting, however definately worthwhile a viewing if your in the area. A hightlight in Xian for me was a cycle ride i did on a tandem bike along Xian city wall which covers the entire central part of the city. Took a tandem for the first time. good chance to see the city and the sun was out in its glory on this day!!! Yipee  In Xian i also experienced my first Chinese Karaoke, fun fun, you go the supermarket pick up your booze and then lock you and your mates in a room and sing a way all night if you desire!!

In China transport is mostly done by buses and overnight trains and i experienced a lot of both, the overnight trains were basic but comfortable and reasonabally price and i would recommend doing these when you travel long distances. :) Buses are very much like SE Asia your not sure if you will make it to the end of the journey, nailbiteing is how i would describe it.  Be wary English is not widely spoken across most of mainland china so picking up a wee phrasebook is certainly worth it.

Shanghai was by far my favourite city in China, it has a great mix of European and Chinese culture and architecture which works really well :) All the people i came across where so friendly the French Concession is a definate must do and also if you are feeling like splashing out wisit the Cloud 9 bar to watch the sunset over the city sky line!! 

Yangshou was a very chilled out backbacker haven. When you are travelling through China, a definate stop if you have the time, you will be greeted by lots of awesome little bars and cafes and i must say it is a rock climbers dream!  i took a bike around the area which are cheap to hire and the best mode of transport if the weather is good some beautiful rice fields to ogle over.  Took a Chinese cooking class here to learnt how to make yummy dunplings which are a Chinese speciality which i ate on more than a few occasions :)  also managed to whip up some lovely Kong Po Chicken and some Aubergine with brown sauce which again is traditional chinese cuisine and all scrumptous!!

Longji Rice Terraces are breathtaking, unfortunately the rain did not stop for the entire time in Longji so was pretty hard to get a full view of this amazing district! But the villages are delightful and only a small trek away you really do get to experience the real China :)

Hong Kong - Huge city, must visit the Peak on the tram, has to be the steepest tram eva! Brillian skyline :)

Sorry folks have to run as at the airport and my flight has just been called!! Ciao for now speak to every1 again in India

Hi Every1

Well i am currently in Vietnam, enjoying the buzz of 10000's of motorbikes wizzing down the street as i write this, now i can see why SE Asia all ride motorbikes.  My story continued after leaving Thailand i headed onwards towards Cambodia :) Headed through the border at Poipet which was more like going through a road closure, as no bags were checked or health checks completed made it nice and quick and even gave the guard a passport control a little laugh by looking at my passport picture.   First stop on the list was Angkor (Siem reap) to visit the great buddhist temples, including the very temple Tomb Raider was filmed ( Ta Phrohm)!!!   Got a great start at 4.30am to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat which i have to say is definately worth a visit if you get chance!!  Went up the Bayon temple for sunrise which was awesome if you could get through the thousands of other tourists visiting at the same time :(.   

Learnt some Cambodian history about the French Colonial period and about the Pol Pot regime which saddened me alot to learn that over 50% of the population of the country is 19 years and under due to the Khymer Rouge regime that Pol Pot started!! Definately worth visiting the killing fields at Phnom Penh if your heading through Cambodia thats for sure.  Great cheap shopping in Cambodia to there is the Russian Market in Phnon Penh thats worth a visit for sure :) Talk about small world when i was in Angkor Wat and then later in my trip in Sihanoukville i meet two Irish guys Paddy and Colin who i used to live with in the hostel in New Zealand,crazy right!! Had a good session with those guys at the lovely beach resort of Sihanoukville but beware of the mosquitos they are every where.  From there i headed over to Vietnam to where i currently write from my fist stop therre was at the border town of Chao Doc a small town where i got a chance to go on a motorbike tour up a mountain overlooking the town at sunset!! Also got a chance to see the floating villages on the Meekong River which was amazing to see i saw fish farms, homemade clothing and also pigs that were kept on a boat, really a sight to be seen with your own eyes, unbelievable. Was still a great experience even it was terrential rain for most of my days in Vietnam.

 I then made a swift move over to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) a huge cosmopolitan place with huge street markets and thousands of street sellers  i would say it was to be more or on par with Bangkok, but the sellers in Vietnam seem that lttle more desperate to make that sale to you.  Unfortunately Saigon seems to be rife with petty thieves as one of my friends had a bag snatched on the street and this appears to a common  occurence.  Highlights of Saigon has to be the Cu Chi tunnels that begun in the 1940's whic was used in the war in Vietnam between North and South the tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to control a large area just outside the city even had a veteran from the war take me around the sight giving his personal encounters of his time there.  Really an amzing but sad place. 

Now i am getting ready to head back to Bangkok where i will take my onward flight over to China first stop Ghanzou.  Until then....

Hello All

Since my last post i have travelled along the west coast of Malaysia which i have to say was awesome. Started my trip in Singapore and then went over to Melaka - There i saw lots of hindu temples, took my first trishaw ride! Eat some amazing food. From there i went on to Kuala Lumpar - I visited the Petronas tomwers which are now the highest twin towers in the world, went to an amazing bird park for the day which was fab, lots of cool pics to come. Visited the Batu Caves where i experienced my  first encounter with 100's of monkeys soo weird.  In Kuala Lumpar i experienced great night life at a regaee bar where i was driven around the city  and shown all the sights and had my drinks bought for me by a local bar owner!!!! Drinks are super expensive in Malaysia so was pleased.  From KL i then went on to Taping a cute little place a few hours north of KL, there i stayed with a malay family in Bukit Gantang at a homestay where i tried traditional malay food and experienced traditional malay hospitality :).   The family were super nice the entire time. From there i went visiting a Mangrove forest, i went to see how Charcoal is made at a local factory. Sampled some local fruits at a nearby orchard fruit tasting, yummy.  At the end of the homestay even experienced a mock malaysian wedding where my friend ruth got married! So we all wore the traditional muslim dress. Pics to follow.
From Taiping i took the bus and ferry over to the little island of Penang, what a great place probably my favourite spot in Malaysia that i visted, quaint streets, awesome china town area and i was there for Deepavali so got to try some awesome indian cuisine.  Had a great foot massage in Penang, my first one, now i know how tickly my feet really are!!!  Saw one of te biggest temples in SE Asia Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang whic hwas stunning again pics to follow.

From there i headed to the borders of Thailand and stayed in the border town of Nakorn Sri Thammarat - There  i watched one of the worlds most famous shadow puppet masters at work, which was a great cultural experience :) just amazing, would highly reommend.  From therer i jumped on a ferry to Koh Sumai :) unfortunately though i went in monsoon season so the island was flooded :( luckily the rain let off for a few hours and gave me the opportunity to go snorkelling in Kao Tao and Koh Nyungen, both beautiful islands.  I took advantage of the bad weather and treated myself to a spa treatment, and then i got stranded at the resort :) but hey it was 5 star it was awesome.   Got a glimse of a ladyboy show on the island!!! Brilliant is all i can say!!!!  Now i am awaiting my overnight train through to Bangkok...... until the next time xxxx

Hi All

Flew out of NZ this week not before taking a last little adventure of the North Island taking in the Bay of Islands - A really beautiful spot located north of Auckland.  Stayed in Paihia a beautiful wee town located right next to Waitangi :) Got to see the place where the treaty of Waitangi was signed between the british and the Kiwis!! a great cultural experience.  Squeezed in a wee trip to the Coramandel located east of Auckland again a lovely coastal township with a great coast line that i travelled along on the bus!! Stayed in the township in a small backpacker, where i took advantage of some amazing coastal walks and a great boat ride back to Auckland and the weather wasfor want of a better word lush.

Now i start my Asia adventure i have been in Singapore now for a couple of days, what a city its huge and very western languages spoken are Maly and mandarin and english is commonly spoken as you would expect. Walking along the street you can find M&S, topshop and a zillion other places where you can spend, spend, spend this is really a shoppers haven but not for my budget :(  Eating out on the other hand is sooo cheap spending around $3 singaporean dollars a day on food and you can try it all. Visited the older parts of the city Little India where there are lots of really cheap markets selling everything from fruit and veg to electronics and clothing.  China Town is cool too lots of great eateries to choose from.

Visited Sentosa island which is Singapore's equivalent to Disneyland, i returned to a 9 year old Emma running wild around the park visiting Underwater world and taking a ride on the luge and riding the skyride :) Oh yeah def worth a visit.  Took in a beautiful Sunset of the city at the Swissotel Stamford coutesy of some friends with local knowledge thanks Atik and Kamie you guys rock. 

The hotels here are amazing had to pop into Raffles not for a singapore sling at $28.00!!!! but to use the toilet!! but hey got a good luck around. Popped into the Marriott where Antony my old boss from Melbourne is now general manager, heading out for beers with him before i leave Singapore tomorrow night which will be nice. 

Next stop Malaysia........

Until Then Big Hugs to you all

Emma xx

Hello All

Well its been a while i know!!! Have been keeping my head down and working hard to save for my trip in Asia, not going too well at the moment however......  I celebrated turning of age last week :) which consisted of lots of free alcohol and awesome backpackers, great night had by all.

I handed my resignation into work yesterday and got a little sad as i will definately miss the place and all the people who work there, they have been simply great. Highly recommend anyone who comes to NZ to visit the M-Horn for drinks and dinner, awesome place, awesome people.

The hostel where i am living remains steady with an influx of people in and out all the time, only a few more weeks of shared dorms and then some freedom travelling here i come.

Received my passport back this week, alot fuller than last time i saw it, complete with Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese visas, how exciting :)

Posted a parcel home to the UK with my work suits enclosed and some paperwork that i will not need in Asia, its starting to hit me that i am coming nearer to the end of my OE trip which in fact makes me a little sad :( .  Don't get me wrong i will be happy to see my family and friends but sad to loose the freedom of travelling around when i want wherever i want.  I have however started to look into the possibility of gaining a Canadian working holiday visa for next year which would be amazing!! Fingers crossed i will have a chance.

Anyway will keep you posted on my travels around Asia very very soon.

Take Care every1 Emma xx

Hi All,

Been a while since last time we spoke, you'll be happy to hear i have found a great pool in the city called Freyburg where i have started  swimming a couple times a week!!!! Also found a cool rock wall where i can go climbing for some fun too. 

So i went to see the All Blacks play this week in the Tri Nations game against the Springboks, what a game! Superb :)  Was lucky enough to get a seat on the front row behind the goal due to booking the tickets two months in advance.

Managed to get in lots of action from the Football world cup, some good matches!!

Have also managed to sampled some awesome night life in the CBD of Wellington including San Francisco Bath House, Mighty Mighty and found a really cute old style Welsh pub where there are lots of regulars and friendly faces.

A sad week too as some of the hostel long termers are heading away to Hawaii, England and Austria we have all been living together for the last two months so i will be sad to see them leave :( but hey when i get to there countrys i will surely be paying a visit.

Got an India Lonely planet this week, so i can read up on all the whats hot and whats not places to visit for my big trip.

Will try to get some pics up soon for you all.......Hope all is well 

Em x